Happy Christmas! We’re finally there. And today we look at what it means to go from confident hope to certainty… and why we have both certainty and confident hope.

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green

The wise men follow the star to Bethlehem. Find out what happens next in our latest instalment from our advent calendar. One day to Christmas!

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green

Herod has all the knowledge… but knowledge isn’t everything. Today, with two days to go until Christmas, we look at what went wrong…

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green

This post by kathylarkman was originally published at GRACE PLACE

Lord God we thank you for this night, a chance to worship you and reflect on your goodness with our sisters that we long to be with in person but are glad to be gathered with in this way. As we have just sing, we thank you that our Saviour reigns.

Thank you for carrying us faithfully through this strange year and for the chance to end this year with our eyes fixed on you and your glorious plan of salvation in Jesus. Things may feel stripped back this year but they are no more stripped back than your simple birth in a stable. May we use this quieter, barer Christmas to focus on what really matters – you.

Thank you Jesus for emptying yourself, laying aside your divine privileges and entering our world as a human to die our death on the cross. This really is joy to the world. You are the perfect expression of God’s faithfulness and love to us. 

So wherever we are this Christmas; whoever we spend it with – or don’t get to spend it with – help us to remember how loved we are by you. We cannot doubt your love for a moment because you sent physical evidence of it into our world in Jesus. And therefore we can trust the wonderful truth that we are reconciled with you and we will be with you forever when we hail you are our King.

May our hearts make room for you this Christmas. More room than ever before. Because the glorious truth is that you are for life, not just for Christmas. You are our Saviour for always. 

Thank you Lord Jesus.

Amen

What does wisdom look like? We meet the wise men and ask that question in our 22nd instalment of our online advent calendar.

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green

In the 21st instalment of our online advent calendar we look at the responses of the Shepherds and Mary to the birth of Jesus.

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green

Contrary to Glen Scrivener’s early Christmases under bright southern sun, the Bible talks about inherent darkness for God’s people when introducing Christmas themes. Into these common-place darknesses, a bright light entered in and has continued to grow daily.

Five days to Christmas! Today in our online advent calendar we see that faith isn’t as blind as we might think. Luke encourages the shepherds and us to think carefully about the evidence God presents, and then commit to Christ Jesus on that solid basis…

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green

Why does a choir appear above Bethlehem? We find out in our 19th instalment of the online advent calendar. Find more at https://churchonthegreen.online.

— Advent 2020 with 💖 from Church on the Green